Grizzlies Walk Off, Cap Massive Comeback Over Y'alls
August 31, 2024 - Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, Ill. - The Gateway Grizzlies fell behind 10-1 against the Florence Y'alls on Saturday night, but came all the way back in stunning fashion, scoring 10 unanswered runs and walking off on a Gabe Holt RBI single in the bottom of the ninth by a final score of 11-10 at raucous Grizzlies Ballpark. The victory, one of the biggest comebacks in club history, snapped a three-game losing skid, and evened up the weekend series at one game apiece.
Grizzlies starter Tyler Cornett struggled mightily on the mound in the early innings, as Florence hit a pair of two run homers in their first two turns at bat, then took advantage of six walks in the fourth inning to jump out to their big lead. On the Gateway side, they mustered just a D.J. Stewart RBI fielder's choice in the bottom of the first inning against Florence starter Jonaiker Villalobos in falling behind 10-1.
The comeback began innocently in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Dale Thomas lined an RBI double to left-center field with two outs to make it 10-2. In the bottom of the fifth, Holt would kick off a four-hit inning with a leadoff single, and scored three batters hence on an RBI single by Stewart to make it 10-3. Kevin Krause hit a ground ball to shortstop that brought in an additional run, and Abdiel Diaz completed the frame with a two-out RBI single, drawing the Grizzlies within 10-5.
In the sixth inning, after the Y'alls made a pitching change, things really started to get interesting. Darrien Williams walked both Cole Brannen and Holt with one out before Victor Castillo ripped an RBI double to right field, making the score 10-6. With two outs in the same frame, Stewart hit a fly ball to shallow left field, and after calling off the shortstop, Florence outfielder Stephen Hrustich failed to make a diving catch, scoring two more runs and making the score 10-8.
The comeback would not stop there. With two outs and none on in the seventh inning against Kent Klyman, Thomas drew a walk, and Brannen stepped up to the plate, working the count full before tying the game at 10-10 on a two-run, opposite-field home run to left. The Grizzlies then nearly took the lead in the bottom of the eighth against Ross Thompson (3-5), with Krause grounding a base hit into left field with a runner on second. Pinch-runner Tate Wargo was thrown out at the plate by Hrustich, however, and Krause was called out on the bases as well, ending the frame.
But after Alec Whaley (5-1) capped a phenomenal night by the Grizzlies' bullpen with a scoreless top of the ninth inning that also featured an out at home plate, the game went to the bottom of the ninth. Diaz led off with a double off Thompson, and Kyle Gaedele worked a walk. Thomas then laid down a bunt, with Diaz just beating the throw from Thompson to third base to load up the bases with no one out.
Thompson followed by striking Brannen out looking for the first out of the inning, bringing up Holt, who scorched a walk-off single into right field past the glove of the drawn-in second baseman to complete the incredible comeback in Sauget.
Holt, Castillo, Peter Zimmermann and Diaz all had three-hit games to lead a 17-hit offensive attack for the Grizzlies, with Stewart driving in four total runs as well. But the biggest heroes of the night were the Grizzlies' bullpen, who followed up Cornett's rocky outing by completely shutting down the Y'alls for the final five and one-third innings of the game, striking out six and walking two while giving up just three hits. Included in the group was Edwin Mateo, with the Grizzlies outfielder tossing a scoreless eighth inning after Gateway had tied the score.
The Grizzlies now will go for the series win in the rubber contest on Sunday, September 1, at 6:05 p.m. CT. Gateway will celebrate their annual Greatest Night in Baseball tradition, with scores of prizes to be given away throughout the game and all fans in attendance being eligible to win, followed by the famed toilet papering of Grizzlies Ballpark and a spectacular fireworks show to close out the regular season.
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